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NY ‘Legal Assistant’ Scammed Desperate Families Out Of Thousands, Jury Finds
A New York man who posed as a legal expert in order to scam desperate families out of thousands of dollars was convicted of multiple federal crimes.
Christopher Reese, 57, of East Meadow, was found guilty of fraud and related charges in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, March 20.
Using an unlicensed legal operation, Reese defrauded criminal defendants and their families by promising to secure prison releases he had no authority to deliver, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District said.
Reese, also known as “Christopher Eugene Thomas,” targeted inmates, friends, and family memb…
House Explosion: Cause Revealed For Blast That Killed Man, Woman In Hudson Valley
Days after a man and woman were killed in a house explosion in the Hudson Valley, investigators determined what caused the blast.
A “significant amount” of propane had leaked into a Brueckner Lane residence in the town of Hurley, causing a massive explosion at around noon Wednesday, March 19, New York State Police said.
The blast completely leveled the home, killing residents Ralph Brueckner, 75, and Cheryl Hathaway, 58, according to police.
Fire investigators deemed the incident “accidental in nature,” noting that the propane had built up over an extended period of time.
Additional detai…
Iran Sent Hitmen To Kill NY Journalist: Two Mobsters Convicted In Foiled Plot
Two Eastern European mobsters were convicted in a chilling plot to assassinate an Iranian-American journalist on US soil—at the behest of the Iranian government.
A Manhattan federal jury found Rafat Amirov, 46, of Iran, and Polad Omarov, 40, of Georgia, guilty on all five counts related to a murder-for-hire scheme targeting journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad on Thursday, March 20.
The pair orchestrated the plan under orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), offering a hitman $500,000 to kill Alinejad outside her Brooklyn home, according to prosecutors.
…
NY Art Advisor Who Stole $6.5M From Clients In Years-Long Fraud Scheme Sentenced To Prison
A once-prominent Manhattan art advisor who defrauded her wealthy clients of more than $6.5 million in a years-long scheme is heading to prison.
Lisa Schiff, 54, a well-known contemporary art consultant, was sentenced to 30 months behind bars in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, March 19, after admitting to a massive fraud in which she stole money meant for art purchases and sales, instead using it to fund a lavish lifestyle and cover mounting debts.
Schiff ran her scheme for five years, from 2018 through 2023, using her company, Schiff Fine Art (SFA), to swindle at least 12 clients, one…
Fatal Fire: Couple Charged In Airbnb Blaze That Killed Mother, Baby In Hudson Valley, Cops Say
A Westchester County couple has been formally indicted on manslaughter charges in connection with a devastating Airbnb house fire that killed a Massachusetts mother and her 1-year-old daughter in Dutchess County, authorities announced.
Hastings-on-Hudson residents Meredith Darcy, 55, and Dennis Darcy, 57, were charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter each after a Dutchess County Grand Jury determined that their failure to provide working smoke detectors in the short-term rental home led to the deaths of Shannon K. Hubbard, 35, and her infant daughter, the Dutchess County D…
Riders Suffer Broken Bones As Segway Scooters Fold Mid-Ride, Sparking Massive Recall
Two popular Segway electric scooters are being recalled after dozens of riders were injured when the handlebars or stem collapsed mid-ride, sending some crashing to the ground.
More than 220,000 Segway Ninebot Max G30P and Max G30LP KickScooters are affected by the recall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a news release on Thursday, Mar. 20.
Segway has received 68 reports of folding mechanism failures, according to the CPSC. The incidents include 20 injuries such as abrasions, bruises, lacerations, and broken bones.
The scooters were sold at Best Buy, Costco, Walmar…
Exclusive: SZA Allegedly Scammed By Woman Wanted For $600K+ Hospital Fraud
A New Jersey woman accused of defrauding Pennsylvania hospitals out of more than $600,000 while raising money for assisted suicide has also been accused of scamming Grammy-winning singer SZA.
Taleah McKnight, 30, also known as Abygail Brooks, Chemory Brooks, Taleah Brooks, Leah Osei, and Leah Javon has an active arrest warrant for theft by deception and theft of services, East Hempfield Township Police in Lancaster County announced and Daily Voice previously reported.
McKnight has lived at addresses in Roselle Park and Rahway in Union County as well as Carteret, Middlesex County, New…
America's Tallest Man Dies, Served As Sheriff's Deputy
The tallest man in America has died.
George Bell, who measured 7 feet 8 inches and lived in Norfolk, Virginia, was 67 years old.
From 2000 to 2014, he was a deputy with the Norfolk Sheriff's Office.
"He was well known for many things, but for those who worked with him, he will be remembered for his kind and fun-loving personality," the Norfolk Sheriff's Office said. "He will always be considered a member of the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office family. Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time."
Bell, a native of Portsmouth, Vi…
